


Day 2: Familars

by TheDarkSideCupCake



Series: Spooktober prompts [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Animal Abuse, Animals, Blood, F/F, Fairy Tale Elements, Fairy Tale Style, Familiars, Lesbian Character, Lesbian Witches, Minor Violence, No Character Is Named, Princes & Princesses, Spooktober, Witches, but only very briefly - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-03
Updated: 2019-10-03
Packaged: 2020-11-22 18:17:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20878595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDarkSideCupCake/pseuds/TheDarkSideCupCake
Summary: A classic fairy tale story about a woman living all alone, together with her beloved black cat.And then a prince came and fell in love with her.But what would happen if the woman did not love him back?





	Day 2: Familars

Once upon a time, many, many years ago, there was a village. And in this village there was a woman who lived all by herself in her own little house.

The woman had lived in the house for many years and never had she taking in any husband to share her home with.

Still, what mystified many of the villagers was that this woman still had two chairs for her table, two seats in front of her fireplace, a closet big enough for two and enough space in her bed to share with a partner.

But while the woman had been visited by prospect suiters throughout the years, she had rejected them all and continued to live alone.

All alone with her beloved black cat.

The villagers of the town didn’t mind, though. If she had no intent to marry, that did not concern them. They continued to live out their days peacefully. 

The woman was a very adept herbalist and physician. Every morning she would enter the forest with her beloved cat to gather leaves, flowers and other plant life. Every midday she would grind and cook her herbs in order to make medicine. And every afternoon she would be visited by the villagers, asking for remedies and treatment, as she continuously cured them from their sickness and alleviated their suffering. 

The woman was very loved by the villagers, for she was kind and never turned a villager away, even if they were unable to pay her back for her help.

For this village was truly lucky to have a woman like her living among them. 

There was land beyond this village, filled with other towns and cities and villages like theirs. And this land was ruled by a kingdom. 

The rulers of the kingdom was the king, his queen and their son who was next in line for the throne.

And for every kingdom to survive, a heir is needed, so the king sent his son out to find himself a woman he could marry.

So the son went out in search for the woman he could make into his future wife. 

The son travelled far and beyond, and saw many different places and people. And while he met many beautiful and likeable women, he did not feel as if any of them were the one.

And as his journey kept on giong he came to the village with the woman living all alone in her house. 

At first the prince did not think this village was very different from those he had visited before. And he would have left right after if he hadn’t been hit with sickness soon after he had arrived in the village. 

The villagers feared wrath from the king if his son were to die in their village, so that same day they went to the woman’s house to ask her for her help. 

And just like always, when the villagers asked for her help, she gathered her supplies, took her beloved black cat on her shoulder and she went over to where the prince was kept. 

The prince was terrible sick with fever and a cough. His body was too cold and too warm and a shiver kept on tormenting him. 

As the woman arrived at his side, she immediately began to heal and treat him for his sickness. 

The woman made all the villagers leave the room, as she attended to the man, except from her beloved black cat who kept watch over her. 

She worked for at full night, a full day and another full night, but as the sun rose on the second day, the prince woke up with it. And the first thing he saw as he opened his eyes, was the woman woman who had sat by his side for two nights and a day, her face covered in sweat and her hair unruly. Her nose sharp and hooked, and her fingers long and thin. 

And the prince fell in love at once. 

Sadly before he was strong enough to form any words, the woman took her cat and left, directing the villagers on how to keep taking care of the prince until he was at full strength again. 

It was not for another few days that the prince were capable of leaving the bed, and during his time bedridden he kept on asking the villagers about the mysterious woman who had cured him for his sickness. 

And he learned about how she lived alone, with two chairs for her table, two seats in front of her fireplace, a closet big enough for two and a bed big enough to share with a partner. 

And the prince decided he would be that partner. 

As soon as the prince was able to leave his room, he dressed in his finest clothes, found the most beautiful flowers from the forest, and went right over to the woman to knock on her door. 

The prince had always believed in honesty and directness when it came to one's feelings, so as the woman opened her door to him he immediately confessed his love and asked her to become his wife. 

The woman gave the prince a kind smile, politely rejected his advances and then quietly went into her house. 

The prince was speechless. Never in his wildest dreams had he ever imagined that a simple village woman would ever say no to his hand. 

There had to be some kind of mistake. Or they had misunderstood each other. Or maybe she purposefully rejected him in order to test him. Maybe she wanted to say yes, but wanted him to prove his loyalty and determination. 

Certainly that must be what she wished of him. And what she wished for, the prince would make sure that she would get. 

So the prince left the village, with absolute faith that he would return. 

The prince went back home to the king and the queen, and he asked all his advisers about how to win over a woman's hand in marriage. 

Each advisor had a different idea about how to win a woman’s hand in marriage.

“Shower her with gold and jewelry,” one of the men said. 

“No, show her how kind you are by treating animals and children well!” Another man interrupted.

“No, woman want bravery, slay a beast in her name and offer her its head,” a third man shouted. 

There was much discussion about what was the best course of action, but by the end of the day the prince decided to test out their ideas. 

As he went towards his bedchamber to gain rest for his travels tomorrow one of the advisers spoke to him in private. 

“It is good that you have found a wife, my prince, but be careful. Witches are on their guard, and if she is afraid of getting too close to you, it might be because of what she is hiding.”

At the advisors words the prince simply laughed. This woman was simply too kind and beautiful to ever be a witch. 

The next day the prince once again went out on his journey, with caravans and horses filled up with the most pristine rings and necklaces and crowns. Each one was more beautiful than the next, and the prince was certain it all was more worth than the whole village. 

As the prince arrived he did not waste any time with the other villagers. He dressed in his finest clothes, took a bouquet made out of silver and rubies, and knocked on her door. 

As the woman opened the door, he was at first met with a smile, and so he quickly showed the offerings that he had brought. The finest jewelry. the most precious gems. And all of it covered in gold and silver.

And once again he confessed his love and asked her to become his wife. 

The woman looked upon the piles of riches, but instead of falling into his arms in a show of affection and gratitude, she gave him a smile that did not seem as real as the ones before. Once again she rejected his advances, and quietly went back into her house. 

The prince still had hope. Maybe she did not care for his money and influence, but certainly she would not reject him if she knew of his kindness. 

While there was plenty of animals and children that the prince could use to show how generous and good he was, he had noticed that the woman seemed to hold her beloved black cat close to her heart. 

If the prince could win over the cat, he could win over her hand. 

So the next few days the prince tried to lure the cat in. 

The cat was small and fat, so at first he offered it the finest fishes and the most luxurious meat, but it seemed like the cat would always ignore him. 

The fur of the cat was curly, big and unruly, going everywhere, so he tried getting closer to it so he could brush it and for it to get used to his smell, but the cat would always avoid him. 

He even tried to get one of the children from the village to bring him the cat, since it seemed to enjoy their company, but every time they tried to bring it to him, it would immediately run away. 

In the end the prince became so frustrated by the hostility of the cat, that he hid away from sight, and when it came close enough he grabbed it by it’s fur. 

The cat became furious, screaming and scratching and biting everywhere it could reach. It was so violent, that the prince forced it against his body, pushing it down so it could not run away. 

Before the prince could begin calming the cat down, he heard a shout that made him look up. It was the woman, and this time there was not any smile on her face. 

The prince tried hurriedly to clarify the situation, but the woman was not hearing any of it.

She went over and grabbed the pet out of his arms, scolding him for his treatment of her beloved cat. 

She would not listen to reason as he tried to explain that he had at first tried to be kind to the cat, and that it was it’s fault that he had failed. She did not listen as he tried to apologize for his actions, and that he would repent in any way she wanted. 

Instead she turned her back on him and walked away, her cat hissing at him the whole way. 

The prince was becoming disheartened. It seemed like whatever he did, nothing would satisfy this woman. He was almost out of options, but had one idea left. Showing of his courage and slaying a beast in the woman’s name. 

He had heard the villagers speak about a wolf stalking the forest and decided that would be an adept choice of prey. So the prince gathered all his hunting gear and equipment and went deep into the woods to slay a beast. 

It took one whole day and one whole night before he found the first traces of the wolf. And from there it was only a matter of catching up to it. It was another day before he found it, and under the light of the full moon he fought the beast with every weapon in his arsenal. 

By the end of the night he was bloody and dirty, but the corpse of the wolf laid at his feet, blood dripping out from the wound in its chest. 

The prince took out his knife, and as he cut off the head he shouted his confession of love towards the woman who would certainly become his wife, once he had shown he was willing to lay his life on the line for her affection. 

He cleaned the head the best that he could, and then went back towards the village. 

While the prince was optimistic, he was also tired and heavy from the harsh battle, so instead of dressing in his best clothes and gathering flowers to present, he went straight to the woman’s house to knock on her door. 

As she opened the door, for a second he was met with a smile, before it turned into a look of fear. That was understandable as the prince was still covered in the blood of the beast, so he quickly presented it’s head, telling her his reason for slaying it.

As he spoke her fearful face turned into one of anger and resentment. Again, she shouted at him, and asked how he would ever think she would appreciate such a macabra gift. She told him that the wolf had wandered this forest for years and how terrible it was for it to meet its end like this. 

This time she did not quietly enter her house, but instead she smashed the door shut, right into his face. 

The prince was heartbroken. He had offered this woman gold and jewelry. He had tried to show of his kindness. And he had killed a beast in her name. And still she had rejected all of his advances.

The prince had no idea why she would not accept his love. 

And then he thought about the last advisor. The one who had warned him in private. And suddenly there might be a reason for this woman pushing him away, time and time again.

And suddenly the prince saw the woman in a completely different light. 

Living all alone by herself for such a long time. Why would she ever do that, unless she did not want any witnesses for what she did in the shadows of her own home.

The way she gathered herbs and made it into medicine. It made no sense how a woman would be able to gain such knowledge, unless there was darker forces behind it. 

The cat always following her around. Clearly evil and not like any other animal. A witche’s familiar, used to spy on the people of the village, to always be aware of their secrets. 

Certainly, there could be no other explanation other than this woman was a witch in hiding, and was afraid of him revealing her secret. 

He wouldn’t be surprised if she even poisoned the villagers herself, in order for them to depend on her and secure her place in the village. 

No matter what, this evil could not be allowed to continue and the prince went to gather all of the other villagers to present his case. 

At first the villagers were doubtful, which frustrated the prince. He tried to explain the danger of letting the woman stay, but still no one would hear. At last he got outraged at their complete denial. Either the villagers could kill the woman themselves, or the prince would take an army and burn the whole village down for being accomplices to the witch. He then gave them three hours to make their choice. 

During the prince’s speech, one of the younger village girls sneaked away. As fast as she could she went to the woman’s house and explained that the prince had become sick with madness, and he would not find rest until he had her blood on his hands. 

The woman thanked the girl for her warning and then sent her on her way as to avoid them being seen together. 

The woman went into her house and considered her options. She had lived here for years and did not wish to leave. She was also not able to take anything important with her on such a short notice. 

Her beloved cat began to mewl as to catch her attention, and the woman and the cat’s eyes met, locked in a deep stare. Neither said any sound as they looked at each other, until the woman gave a smile. 

From where the prince and the villagers were gathered, they had reached a final choice. None of the villagers wanted to, but they saw no other choice than to chase down the woman. They could not risk the wrath of the kingdom falling upon them. 

The prince made them gather their pitchforks and torches, and were at the front as he lead them to the woman’s house. 

He immediately wanted them to burn it down, but one of the young girls, her face red and sweaty as if she had taken a run, said that the woman should stand for a fair trial before they could kill her for her crimes. 

The prince was resistant to the idea, but finally agreed to a trial. So he sent one of the villagers inside in order to drag her out. 

After an hour the villager came out again, proclaiming that the house was completely empty. 

The prince did not believe him and in his impatience he ordered another villager inside to check instead. 

This villager also came out an hour later, and like the one before, proclaimed that the house was empty. 

The prince only became more furious and this time he went inside the house to find the woman. 

The whole house looked exactly as usual. Nothing seemed to have been taken or moved. The prince looked into every room, and looked into every nook and cranny to make sure that she was not hiding. He looked under the bed and inside the closet and nothing of any suspicion could be found. 

There was nothing in the little house, except for two chairs for a table, two seats in front of the fireplace, a closet big enough for two and a bed big enough to be shared with a partner. There were herbs and medicine, food and water, but no sign of the woman who usually lived here. 

The prince was enraged. She had gotten away. He could not find any traces for which way she had gone, and with the hours they had wasted it would be impossible to guess where she could have gone. 

The woman had managed to get away from him. 

The prince was a stubborn man, so since he had no leads, his only hope of getting his hands on the woman was if she were to return. 

So for the three days he stayed in the village keeping watch in front of her house, in case she were to return. None of the villagers could stand being near him, so he had no one for company except the raven perched atop the roof of the house. 

On the third day the prince got tired of waiting, and loudly proclaimed that he would send guards to keep watch in his stead, so the woman could never come back.

He then returned home to his king and queen, with no woman and no wife. 

As the prince had promised, guards were sent to keep watch over the woman’s house. And there they would stay for seven weeks, with nobody to keep them company except from the raven on top of the roof of the house. 

On the last day of the seventh week, the guards were called home to the castle. The prince had yet to find himself a wife, and this time the guards would accompany him on his journey. 

And so the village was finally left alone. 

Soon after the guards had left a new woman moved into the village. She was short and fat, her head covered in black unruly curls going everywhere, and she a wanted a garden where she could grow fruit and vegetables. Since the other woman had left the village, no one had lived in the house and therefore she asked if she could move in instead. It had nice space for an only woman, and the proximity to the forest would be good for her garden.

As the villagers had lost hope of the other woman ever returning, they had no reason to reject her proposal and soon the new woman moved into the house. 

As she moved in she did not change a single thing from how the house used to be. The only thing she did was build a little birdhouse for the raven on top of the roof of the house, made so it could use it to get inside. 

And there the new woman lived all by herself in her own little house, for many more years. 

It still had two chairs for the table. two seats in front of the fireplace. A closet big enough for two. And a bed big enough to share with a partner. 

And here the woman continued to live alone.

All alone with her beloved raven.

**Author's Note:**

> My second story for Spooktober. When you just want to write a story about two cute witch lesbians and it suddenly turns into a critique of toxic masculinity and how it can hurt women ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


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